Car-coupling



, (No Model.) H. F. DAVIS.

. GAR COUPLING. No. 431,688. Patented July 8, 1890.

V 1/, ter/nag peculiar construction and in the novel 00111- UNITEDSTATES HERBERT F. DAvIsf PATENT OFFICE.

or ROME, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,688, dated July 8,1890.

Application filed May 16, 1890.

T0 62% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT F. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rome, in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such-as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplings, and it has more especial reference to that class ofcoupling devices in which provision is had whereby the cars may beautomatically coupled, and in which they may be readily uncoupledwithout necessitating the going between the cars.

The invention has for its object to simplify and cheapen theconstruction and to render more efficient in operation this class ofdevices.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the sameconsistsin the bination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all asmore fully hereinafterdescribed, shown in the accompanying drawings, andthen specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, like letters of reference indicating like partsthroughout the several views, and in which drawings- Figure 1 is aperspective view of one end of a railway-car showing my improved form ofcoupling device in actual use. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of thedraw-head. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the drawhead,showingthe parts in the position they occupy when in readiness forcoupling.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the endof the car, and B the draw-head, which in general formand construction, excepting as hereinafter specified, is similar to thedrawheads which are in common use upon Til/l]:

Serial No. 352,051. (No model.)

way-cars, and is attached to the car in the usual manner.

C is an enlarged chamber at the front end of the draw-head, and C is acentral longitudinal recess extending from the rear end of the chamber 0to the extreme rear end of the draw-head.

D is a block of metal fitted loosely within the chamber 0, said blockbeing'concaved at its forward end, as shown at D', to receive the end ofthe coupling-link, and at the rear end of the block is secured the frontend of the spiral spring E, which spring is placed within the recess 0and has its rear end attached to the front end of the shaft E, saidshaft being fitted loosely within the rear end of the recess 0 F is ametallic strip or bar which is passed through a suitable opening formedfor the purpose in the side walls of the draw-head near its rear end andis extended through a longitudinal slot F in the shaft E, thus providinga means whereby the shaft E may be moved longitudinally, the distancebeing limited by the width of the said slot, as will be readilyunderstood.

The coupling-pin G is passed vertically through a suitable opening Gprovided for its reception near the front end of the drawhead, and ametallic bracket G rising from the upper face of the draw-head, servesas a guide for the pin in its movements. A suitable rod G or itsequivalent connects the upper end of the pin with some accessible pointupon the roof of the car, where a handle or lever attachment may beprovided for operating or raising the pin.

H is a lever, which is pivoted at its rear end between the ears H whichdepend from the lower face of the draw-head near its rear end. Saidlever H rests upon the horizontal portion I of the rock-shaft I, whichshaft is journaled within suitable bearings upon the end of the car andextends to the sides of the thus raising or lowering the front end ofthe lever H. The front end of the latch or lever H is bent upward atright angles to the body of the lever, and this vertical portion of thelever is made in the form of a plate J, the outer side edges of whichplate are inclined outwardly as they approach the upper end of theplate, and the upper ends of said outwardly-extended portions J arefitted within the vertical slots or guides J 2 formed within the innerside walls of the chamber 0 of the draw-head.

From the foregoing description of the construction of the coupler itsoperation will be readily understood. When the coupling-link has beenwithdrawn from the recess in the draw-head, the block D will be forcedforward by the spring E and will form a support for the coupling-pin,and when the coupling-link enters the draw-head it will contact with thefront end of the block, forcing the same back within the recess in thedraw-head and allowing the pin to fall into place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling device, the combination, with the draw-head and thecoupling attachments connected therewith, of a lever pivoted at one' ofits ends to the lower face of the draw-head, and having its oppositeend' bent at right angles to the body of the lever and adapted to movevertically within suitable guides formed in the draw-head and serve as asupport for the coupling-link, and means, substantially as described,foroperating said lever.

2. The herein-described improvement in coupling devices forrailway-cars, the same comprising, in combination, a draw-head providedat its front end with a chamber, and having a recess extending from saidchamber to the rear end of the draw-head, the blockD within the chamber,the spring E, connected at one of its ends to the rear end of said blockand at its opposite end connected with the shaft E, said shaft E beingfitted within the rear end of the recess in the draw-head and having alimited movement therein in the direction of the length of the recess,the coupling-pin, the support and guide for the pin, the latch or leverpivoted'to the lower face of the draw-head and serving as a support forthe coupling-link, and mechanism, substantially as described, foroperating said pin and latch, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT F. DAVIS. WVitnesses:

H. B. LUMPKIN, L. MEYERHARDT.

